Hail Damage

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Madison Area Hail Damage - Signs of Hail Damage

In Madison, the last few years has resulted in significant amounts of Madison roof hail damage. Madison homeowners need to be proactive in checking for hail damage on their roofs. While hail is common throughout the summer, in recent years above average hail storms have occurred.

How Hail Damages a Roof

Big Hail Hail is dangerous to your home's roof because it decreases the roof's life expectancy. Damage to the asphalt roof occurs when the protective granular surface of the asphalt shingle loosens and falls off. With the granules removed the shingle loses some of its protection, shortening the lifespan of the roof and making it more susceptible to additional damage.

*Roofs that sustain hail damage do not always need to be removed immediately, but there is a deadline for insurance company claims. Check with your insurance company. If left undressed with time the damaged shingles could potentially allow water seepage into the roof.

How to Identify Roof Hail Damage

Hail Damage on Roof Like most of the country, asphalt shingles are the primary roofing material used on Madison roofs. Below are some common signs your roof has been damaged by a hail storm:

• Dents or bruising on the roofs asphalt shingle
• Granules are missing from the shingle (roofing shingle has ‘bald spots')
• Affected roofing shingles feel softer to the touch
• Granules are present in the gutters or at the base of downspouts
• Metal air vents, gutters and siding are damaged and dented

Homeowner's Insurance and Roof Hail Damage

Question: Will my homeowner's insurance policy cover roof repair if my roof sustains roof hail damage?

Answer: Depends. Some policies will cover a roof repair in the event your roof has received damage due to hail. Typically the roof is not repaired, but fully replaced. This is done because the insurance company has recognized the damage to your roof has reduced its life expectancy and its ability to provide protection against potential water damage. If your homeowner's policy covers hail damage and the insurance company accepts the claim, you are typically responsible for paying a deductible.

Tip: If you are unsure if you homeowner's insurance policy covers hail damage, consult your policy paperwork, or contact your insurance company.

Tip: Beware of storm chasers going door to door in Madison and surrounding areas after a storm. Mad City Roofing, Siding and Windows has provided some additional tips about how to identify storm chasers.

How to Identify "Storm Chasers":

Storm Most everyone is aware that Madison and surrounding communities were hit by a large powerful hailstorm on July 11. What you probably don’t know is that as you are reading this article there are out of state contractors (Storm Chasers) headed toward our city, and believe it or not many have already arrived.

These “Storm Chaser” roofing companies are very polished in their sales strategy and approach to acquiring your business. Most “Storm Chasers” look just like your average nice-guy-roofing salesman. But be aware because these “Storm Chasers” are really like sharks that can leave an ugly mess after their feeding frenzy.

A “Storm Chaser” will typically leave your city as fast as they came after the storm work is over. Unfortunately you, the home or business owner, can be left with a poor quality roof to deal with or even be defrauded out of pre-job payments and undelivered promises. One of the most common hidden problems is the result of an improperly installed roof. There are many manufacturer specifications that must be met before your 25, 30, 40, 50 year or lifetime shingle warranty is even valid. Installing a roof to spec is not as easy as just nailing on the shingles. And, if your roofing material does fail for any reason a year or two down the road, any claim filed with the manufacturer will be denied should the roof be installed improperly. So in reality the 30, 40 or 50 year warranty you think you bought with your roof could be a zero year warranty. And, unfortunately, you can just throw that manufacturer’s warranty out the window if you use that “storm chaser”.

The only way to avoid being bitten by “Storm Chasers” is to be cautious and do your research before hiring a contractor. The following is a list of qualifications you should use to qualify your contractor:

Incorporated in Wisconsin: You may check on the web at www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/Search.aspx? go to entity search (free), type in the name of the business.
Look in your 2009 local phone book for a business listing. 2009 AT&T Yellow Pages came out last February.
Call the City of Madison building inspector at 266-4551 and ask if they pulled any permits in 2008.
Job References: No contractor is going to give you a list of bad references. The key is to get several references and to make sure that you get some of the references on projects that are 6 months to a year old. Out of state “Storm Chasers” will be easily identified when they cannot produce local references from over 6 months ago.
Check their workers comp and liability insurance. It’s easy to falsify a certificate so you must call to verify. If you were to allow a noninsured contractor to just inspect your roof, and he injures himself – you could be faced with personal injury litigation because it happened on your property.
Business Location: “Storm Chasers” typically will set up a small temporary office to give the impression that they are a local contractor. They will even have advertising and yard signs stating they are local. A qualified local contractor will have a permanent office sufficient to run a professional business. Before you buy, you may want to visit the contractor’s office to verify that this contractor is going to be around to take care of your needs and back up their work.
Be sure they are part of the BBB
Make sure they have a Wisconsin Dwelling Contractor Qualifier Certification and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier. Without these two license numbers they will not be able to pull permits.
Check the driver's license and license plate of the salesman to verify he is from Wisconsin. Many "Storm Chasers" will purchase the company name of a local company to pass themselves off as "locals", only to leave the small company owner with a bunch of problems and warranties from poor quality workmanship.
Project Management: Most “Storm Chasers” are nothing more than a fleet of salesmen with no field management personnel. It is nearly impossible to have a new roof installed correctly without proper supervision and management. Critical areas of the roof such as flashings, fasteners, sealants, ventilation and manufacturer specifications require the strict attention of the onsite project manager. Many contractors will tell you that they have project management. In most cases their manager is only stopping by the job site one or two times a day to check on material needs. You should expect a trained manager to be at your jobsite a minimum of 35% of the day to ensure your home is getting the attention if deserves.
Manufacturer Certifications: Not only is roofing a non-licensed trade in Wisconsin, most “roofers” have very little to no formal roofing education or formal roofing training. Quality roofing material manufacturers offer certifications. Most of these manufacturers such as GAF Materials Corp. (the oldest and largest roofing manufacturer) as well as others require specific training and also require meeting stringent qualifications to earn a certification. No manufacturer is going to hand out a certification to a “fly by night” contractor. Quality contractors with top-level certifications will also be able to offer upgraded warranties on your new roof system.

If they can not produce all of these be leery - they most likely are a hail chaser. Take the time to do the above to ensure your warranty doesn't leave when the hail chasers do!